Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited

THE WORKING OF THE NNPC/EPNL NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COMPANY:
The new Total was created through two successive mergers the first when the former Total joined with Belgian oil company Petrofina to form TotalFina in 1999, and the second when Totalfina combined with French Oil Company Elf Aquitaine in 2000 to create TotalFinaElf. On May 6, 2003, the group adopted the new name of Total. The new company reflects the prestigious Franco-Belgian oil and gas heritage that dates back to the 1920s. The dynamic synthesis of the corporate cultures and expertise of three companies represents a wealth of technological and human capabilities that position Total favourably to invest in the future of energy.
In Nigeria, the upstream activities of the group are carried out by two subsidiaries, Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited (EPNL), operator of the NNPC/EPNL Joint Venture and Total Upstream Nigeria Limited (TUPNI). EPNL was incorporated in May 1962. The group is also present in the gas utilisation programme of the country through another subsidiary, Total LNG Nigeria Limited holding shares in NLNG.
The main activities include exploration, development and production of oil and gas while contributing to the development of communities where it operates and their neighbours. In collaboration with international non government organisations (NGOs), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and representatives of governments and local communities, the company provides skills development for youths, scholarship awards, upgrades of educational infrastructure, water supply, electricity, health, roads, income generating projects and agriculture. The co-operation between the company, government, local communities and NGOs, is ongoing and more projects will be undertaken in the coming years to ensure sustainable development of the host communities.
The Nigerian operations are carried out in joint venture and exploration partnerships with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell, ENI Petrobas, ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, NEXEN, South Atlantic, and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG).
With 827 employees as at October 2004, and offices in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt, the group is making remarkable contributions to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

GUIDING POLICY FOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARD AND RENEWALS
The following policies shall be the guide for the award and implementation of the NNPC/EPNL joint venture scholarship scheme.

  • Company’s scholarship shall be awarded to deserving full time students in recognized Nigerian tertiary institutions through a formal selection examination
  • Company’s scholarship shall be awarded only to duly admitted and registered students pursuing undergraduate studies in a recognised Nigerian tertiary institution.
  • Company scholarship shall not be awarded to students on part time/sandwich studies.
  • Company’s scholarship shall not be awarded retrospectively but shall take effect from the session of award and shall be valid from the present class of the beneficiary as at the session of award to the end of the regular course duration.
  • Company’s scholarship entitlement shall be paid effective from the session of award. There shall be no payment in arrears for session already completed before the award.
  • Company scholarship shall be renewed only and only if the beneficiary maintains a cumulative CGPA of 3.0 upon a 5 point system or it equivalent.
  • Company’s scholarship shall not be awarded to any students who is benefiting from any other form of scholarship be it in the Oil & gas industry.
  • All payment of company scholarship entitlement shall be made through designated banks.
  • On the completion of documentation (online forms) by awardees, the company shall carry out a due diligence inquest to confirm the status and claims of the students.
  • The company shall not be obliged to retain any student found to be a non registered student of a recognized institution

DOCUMENTATION:
On receiving our award letter, awardees must complete and submit the online acceptance form stating:

  • Their names (Correctly spelt)
  • University
  • Date of Admission
  • Matriculation number
  • Course of study
  • Duration of programme
  • Academic session (2xxx/2xxx…)
  • Level of study (Yr xxx….)
  • Personal Savings Account Number with the Guaranty Trust Bank branch nearest to your school (Note that accounts opened with another bank will not be honoured. However, for those who already have a subsisting savings account with guaranty trust bank need not open a new account

(Please send back your completed acceptance form with H.O.D's attestation to us through a secured mode of postage)


ACCESSING THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND:
For a beneficiary to access his/her entitlement, he/she must:

  • Confirm that his documentation has been received and validated.
  •  Go to the Guaranty Trust Bank Branch nearest to his/her university where he/she opened his/her savings account.
  • Present a valid student’s ID card from his/her university (Please note that no other form of Identification shall be accepted for payment)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I was awarded the scholarship while in my year two of a five year programme. How many times should I expect payment?

  • You will be paid for the remaining duration of the five year programme i.e. four times. Please note that scholarship is not paid in arrears.

I was awarded my scholarship while I was still in year 1 but I was paid only three times instead of four times for a four year programme

  • Yes it is possible you were still in year one when the form was given to you. The question you need to answer is this: For what session is my award made? If you were in your last semester of year 1 say in 2004/2005 and you were short listed for scholarship award for the 2005/2006 session, it simply means that as at the time your award became effective you will be in year 2 and so should be paid from year 2 and not from year 1.

I am running a 4yrs programme. My university lost one academic session to strike which made me to still be in school till now. Should I expect to be paid for this extra year?

  • No. You will not be paid again except of course if we are aware of the strike action and subsequent loss of the session and had take care not to pay you for that lost session. However, if you were paid for that lost session, it will be assumed to have covered the extra session resulting from the strike.

I have completed my acceptance formalities. How do I access my payment?

  • When all documentations have been completed, your first entitlement will be released to you through the designated bank. Presently, the nominated bank is Guaranty Trust Bank.

Do I need to open a personal bank account through which I will receive my entitlement?

  • Yes. You will need a savings account with the Guaranty Trust bank branch nearest to your university in order to receive your payment.

How do I renew my award?

  • See condition for renewal in your letter of award. However, for medical students who do not write examination in parts of the programme, a letter from the Dean or secretary of the medical school attesting to his/her progress will suffice.

Do I need a new award letter to confirm my award has been renewed?

  • No you need no other letter. All you will get is the one you already have. You must keep it safe as losing it may lead to your being denied access to your fund.

Can I change my university or course of study and still retain my award?

  • You may change your course or even your university. However, such change must be communicated to us in writing and an approval given in writing before you can retain your award.  However, when any change is granted, you can only be paid for the remaining duration of the original course for which the scholarship was awarded to you irrespective of the remaining duration of the new course of study. For example, an awardee granted permission to change his course while in 200 level of a four year programme, if the new course is a six year programme, then he/she will be entitled to two more payments as though he/she is still running the original four year programme. Note that notification of change received after the change has been made shall not be honoured.

Can the scholarship be withdrawn from a beneficiary even if he is doing well academically?

  • Yes. The company reserve the right to withdraw the award if it has found that the beneficiary made false claims in obtaining the award. The company can also withdraw the award if the awardee if found to be contravening any of the conditions stipulated in the letter of award.

Need any information or help concerning your scholarship status?

  • Please send your queries to the e-mail address below

 scholarshipinfo@totalsdd.com or call 08063672556

Results for scholarship renewal and endorsed Acceptance Forms should be addressed to:

The Education Development Officer,
Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited,
Plot 25 Trans-Amadi Ind. Layout,
Port Harcourt.